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Greening the South Bronx

Project last updated April 16, 2009

Grassroots organizations in the South Bronx have made environmental justice a central part of their agenda for community revitalization. The Pratt Center has been there with them from the beginning, providing mapping, architecture and urban planning resources that have allowed neighborhood organizations to build a greener, healthier environment in neighborhoods that have carried more than their fair share of the city's polluting facilities. Sewage treatment plants, waste transfer stations, truck highways, wholesale markets, power plants, gas and oil depots—the South Bronx hosts essential infrastructure that allows the New York City region to function but that also leaves the surrounding neighborhoods with New York City's highest asthma rates and a diminished quality of life.

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Create Opportunity through Development of the East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers Project

Testimony last updated April 12, 2007

Testimony to Manhattan Community Board 3

Mercedes Narciso, R.A.
Senior Planner, Pratt Center for Community Development
April 12, 2007

Good evening to everybody. Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony today. My name is Mercedes Narciso and I am a Senior Planner with the Pratt Center for Community Development, a university- based organization that works for a more just, equitable, and sustainable city for all New Yorkers by helping communities to plan for and realize their future. One of those communities is the Lower East Side, and in partnership with the Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), we are currently working on a community assessment and planning initiative in the area.

I am here today to express our support for East River Waterfront Esplanade and Piers Project proposed by the Department of City Planning, a project full of vision and creativity, which would provide the diverse nearby community and the city at large the opportunity to access and enjoy the waterfront.

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Green Agenda for Jackson Heights Released

News last updated July 22, 2010

On Saturday, May 22, the Pratt Center, Queens Community House and Friends of Travers Park released the Green Agenda for Jackson Heights, the product of a five-month, community-wide visioning process for a sustainable future in one of New York City's most diverse neighborhoods. 

More than 400 community members contributed to multilingual grassroots planning sessions, which were held by volunteers in living rooms, schools, houses of worship, community centers, and senior centers. Participants identified priority areas for greening Jackson Heights, including expanding open space, reducing waste, and many other steps toward environmental and economic sustainability. Residents proposed strategies that built upon existing strengths while addressing neighborhood concerns. The final document includes goals as well as recommendations thatcan be implemented legislatively, by community-based organizations, and by individuals.

Download the Green Agenda here! [19 MB]

or download by section

 

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